


For Want of a Nail

by PickleandtheQueen



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 20:03:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8503549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PickleandtheQueen/pseuds/PickleandtheQueen
Summary: written originally with ForgotheParable but I'm not adding him as a co-author since I don't want to bother him but anyway, there's his credit Posted because @agirlnameded needs more PiccoNail :D I might continue this...there are notes around here somewhere lol AU where Piccolo and Nail don't fuse and they fall in love





	1. Chapter 1

Nail knew there was something different about Piccolo as soon as he had clapped eyes on him.

It didn’t take very long to ascertain that he wasn’t of Namek, even if he was a namekian. Genetics only influenced one so much, the rest was up to environment. As it were, Piccolo had come up short on much of the development a typical Namekian should’ve had at his age. For a start, his ability to empathise was all but absent. Oh sure, he had telepathy, but there was only one he deigned to share it with – the sweet child named Gohan he was later introduced to. At least there had been that, he had explained to Moori, but even so that wasn’t enough. Namekians grew up in colonies, becoming accustomed from a very early age to the emotions and thoughts of those around them, sharing them through a communal bond. It expanded their minds, providing each member with a sensitivity that prevented conflict and dissuaded animosity.

Piccolo was far from peaceful.

He was also at a loss, most of the time, with emotions altogether. Nail’s ears perked as he centered in on his partner’s ki. He would be tentative to even say they were ‘together’, in a romantic sense. They had already begun to bond – Nail wouldn’t question how Piccolo had the capability to. It must be fate, the more whimsical part of his mind claimed. 

Nail wouldn’t question that either.

He dropped down on the cliffs preceding the waterfall Piccolo so liked to admire. There he was, floating just above the precipice. Nail smiled, he had probably already sensed him. Even deep in meditation Piccolo would not miss his ki.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Piccolo had sensed Nail's approach from a mile away - the other namekian was far from cautious in his approach. His ears flicked, but he remained settled in his meditative pose. 

Nail confused him. Nail was, at first glance, quite alike to Piccolo. Their appearance was similar, not because of their shared species, but because of their general facial characteristics. Albeit, Piccolo was slightly more refined in his structure. Nail's cheek bones were not quite as high and prominent. 

His ears flicked again, and one eye popped open, glancing back in the direction from where his... His... What was Nail to him, exactly? Piccolo grunted, deciding to ignore the question for the moment. Nail was Nail. There was little else to it. 

The surly, loner of a namek hunched his shoulders. Perhaps the other man would turn around. Piccolo was not in the mood to contemplate his relationship with the friendly namekian. Nail had been insistent on befriending him in the months following the destruction of Planet Namek, and it had only grown after the survivors had left for New Namek. 

A part of him felt a twinge of emotion, remembering his surprise after learning that Nail has decided to remain on earth.  

For him? 

Piccolo swallowed a growl, and ignored it. 

It was not that he disliked Nail, on the contrary, Piccolo found himself growing quite fond of the other. And it scared him. 

"It'll take more than a penny, Nail," Piccolo grunted in response to the other's query. Although Nail could not see his face, he found himself holding back a smirk.

Nail did smirk then, ignoring the grumble in Piccolo's voice as he approached him. He had long since worked out that the other was more bark than bite, even if he bit pretty damn hard. "Oh? Well, since I don't have a penny to my name," the Namekian hummed, his hands clasped behind his back as he strolled over to the other, leaning in a little too close for Piccolo's rather limited comfort zone. "The only other thing I can do is pester you  _ all _ day until you spill."He smiled an almost Cheshire-like grin. Nail had the unfortunate trait of looking eternally pleased with himself - not that he wasn't  _ normally _ , however. "So you have a choice. You tell me right now and save yourself a whole lot of headache, or you subject yourself to an entire day with me hanging around you until you tell me just to make me piss off. Because today, you look even  _ more _ morose than usual, and that's saying something." 

Piccolo glowered at Nail from under heavy brows. The other man was as insufferable as Gohan! And that was truly saying something. He considered simply ignoring Nail, but knew that the other would follow through on the promise to bother him incessantly until he finally caved. Piccolo sighed long and low, drawing out the sound. 

"I was thinking," he began, not in the mood for Nail's antics, "about you." Piccolo allowed his meditative pose to relax and drop. "Or rather, your seeming obsession with me." 

Piccolo would have smirked, but he was too busy scowling in confusion. Nail had that effect on him. It was disconcerting for one such as he, who held such a strong control over his emotions, thoughts, and feelings. "More specifically, I was wondering why you chose to be left behind by your race to remain here on earth." 

Nail fell silent, the self-satisfied grin transitioning into a gentle smile, his expression shifting into one of open contemplation. Well, he was honest, at least. The namekian moved to sit on the soft grass, crossing his legs. 

"It's hardly an obsession," he said, voice soft. He wasn't quite sure whether Piccolo genuinely thought him fixated, or if he was just being snarky. It was probably a combination of both. "But I can see why you would think that, knowing so little of our race and how we typically behave."He gestured Piccolo to sit beside him. "I stayed behind for you." Nail sighed. The realisation that he had began to bond with the grumpy warrior had been a shock, to put it mildly. "I've waited until now to explain why, because I didn't want to make assumptions about a subject I myself am inexperienced in..."

"You don't know about Namekian bonding." It was a statement; he knew for a fact Piccolo didn't. "Well, it's an unconscious process where two members of our race form a...bond. A mental link. It more than often always leads to a relationship."

He held up a hand. "Before you start yelling, I will emphasise that it is an /unconscious/ process. I had no idea this was going to happen. Initially, I just wanted to befriend you because you were lonely all the time. This is only something I've realised of recent."He glanced at Piccolo, squinting. "Am I goin' too fast or what?" 

Piccolo listened, twitching occasionally, meticulously processing Nail's words and explanation. 

His ears pinned. 

"A what?" Relationship? The warrior turned his head to look more intently at Nail. 

He tensed, unsure of how to react. 

A relationship? As in... As in what Gohan's mother had with Goku? His ears twitched spasmodically, stony face failing and opening in confusion. Fear? No, not fear, perhaps anxiety? Piccolo shook his head, "I don't understand," he said at last. Piccolo mentally processed what his body's reactions to Nail's words were, and although he did not have time to examine them as much as he would have liked, he did not have much of a choice at the moment.

No, there was no fear, and anxiety was not the right term either. What was it then? He did not know. 

Piccolo flicked his ears again, and closed his eyes. 

"Does it go both ways?" He asked at last, deciding on that particular question as being the best course of action. "This 'Namekian Bond?'"

Nail was silent, allowing Piccolo some time to process his words. Although he had expected shock, or something /worse/, he couldn't help but feel slightly tense. This was so new for him as well. The concept of being with another in  _ that  _ way frightened him - they had only embraced once or twice, and that was more Nail trying to wind Piccolo up than anything else. But...being in love? Needing someone so exclusively, so selfishly, completely opening himself up and leaving himself vulnerable for heartbreak? It frightened him. But at the same time, the thought of getting closer to Piccolo...it intrigued him. It was an exciting prospect, one that send his heart racing. "Yes." Nail scratched the back of his ear. "It's a telepathic connection that's formed under...certain conditions." He shook his head. "We can reproduce asexually, but in order to better facilitate for genetic variation, we have evolved the ability to, uh," he coughed "sexually reproduce. However, the  _ desire _ to only takes place when we have found an ideal partner - so that's where the bonding comes in."

"Because you're uh - emotionally stunted, to put it politely, you probably don't know what the hell is going on, right?" Nail raised a brow. "Well, I'm shocked that you can even bond with me in the first place, considering how you developed...but...the fact you haven't tried to kill me yet should let you know that I'm not just pulling your leg, here." His lips quirked, smile widening just slightly.

"Reproduct - wh..." Piccolo blanched, his voice cracking youth fully, what on earth was he saying? This was too much... The namekian warrior remained seated, although a large part of him desired to - as Nail had joked - kill the other and flee. But... He could not and would not harm the other without cause. Piccolo swallowed, his mind racing.  And yet... There was something... Something intriguing, comforting, about the idea of having a specific person in whom he could confide, to whom he could he vulnerable...open... What was he thinking?Piccolo shook his head again, violently this time, before slowly standing and turning away from Nail, uncrossing his arms only to hug himself, fingers curling into his cape, tugging it closer to his body as a gently breeze pulled it from him. 

It was mutual then. If Nail were attracted to him, then... And that would mean... Piccolo closed his eyes, considering. 

He did not dislike Nail. He was not even opposed to being in the other's admittedly annoying company. Even if he acted as if he did not enjoy being around Nail, in reality he was merely reluctant to allow himself to believe that the man was truly not going anywhere. 

Gohan was his only companion... 

He pursed his lips. 

Would it be so bad to have a second? Piccolo glanced back at Nail, ears flicking. 

So he had memorized the other's face, and taken interest in the way the man walked. It meant nothing. 

Right?

Under his turban, his antennae were standing on end.

Why?

What was he so afraid of?

Nail was more than a little surprised that Piccolo was still standing in a 1000 metre radius /and/ that he was still conscious to see it. He had anticipated incredulity, anger - even violence - but not contemplation, however tense Piccolo still seemed. So, he recognised that it was not one-sided. He believed him. A sigh escaped the namekian, and he rose to his feet.

"When I say I am..." his throat muscles shifted, swallowing. "Attracted, to you, I do not mean physically - not, not yet. That comes later. I mean..."

How could he word it? That he found Piccolo's grumpiness amusing instead of irksome; that he delighted in provoking a reaction from him other than anger; that he enjoyed his dry, sarcastic sense of humour, so similar to his own...

How could he say that his heart raced at the mere prospect of seeing him, that he wanted to worm his way past his mental barriers, emotional defenses, to really get to know him?

Nail licked his lips. "I mean...I want to be around you all the time." A frown crossed his handsome face. "You think I'm annoyingly persistent  _ now _ ?" A soft laugh escaped him. "I'm trying to hold back, to be honest - I don't want to frighten you away. This is...so new to me, as well." His voice dipped, lower, raspier. "I know I had to stay here. I couldn't possibly leave. The idea sickened me to my very core."

His clear, blue eyes locked with Piccolo's. "Do you know how frightening it is for me, not only leaving all that I knew, but not being able to go _ back _ to it? I couldn't." His face scrunched, eyes closing, a hand raising to rub his temples. 

"And I won't be able to. Namekian bonds are lifelong."A wan smile crossed his face. "You won't be able to run away from it, to deny your feelings. Even if you can brush them away right now, they'll come back, stronger, later. I won't even need to pester you." His tone was light, but his eyes serious. "The bond starts unconsciously, as I have mentioned. An emotional connection is developed first. The rest comes later."

Piccolo grunted in acknowledgement of Nail's words, his presence. 

It was, at least, reassuring that the man was not physically attracted to him. Not yet, anyway. That was a relief. Anything else would be... It would be too much. Too much too fast - Piccolo stopped, the mere fact that he, himself, was not violently denying the mere possibility of such a bond forming was indicative enough. 

He was changing, and he was not so sure he hated the possibly.

It should have, he supposed, felt more foreign than it did, this bonding, these subtly shifting feelings. It should have scared him. And yet, Piccolo admitted to himself, ears flicking and twitching in contemplation, that it did not feel so foreign because he had formed a bond before.

Gohan, his sweet little child, all giggles and smiles. His child, for all intents and purposes. 

It would be...different, far different, from his bond with the boy, but... He had not felt that coming on either. Were Namekian Bonds so different from human ones, then? Or were they all essentially the same? Piccolo looked again at Nail.

"You were willing to give up your family..." a brow raised, skeptical. How could that be? The warrior eyed Nail suspiciously, unsure if he should believe the other, despite the fact that it was blatantly obvious that the man's words were the truth. He could feel it. 

"For me."

Nail sighed, holding up his hands. "I don't blame you for finding that strange.  _ I  _ find it strange." His colony had been everything to him. He was willing to throw his life away for them, for just one of them, and gladly. The realisation that he didn't want to go back was more than just unsettling - it shook him to the very core. "They were everything to me, Piccolo." There was a quiet, but absolute conviction to his voice. "But the bonding has progressed much more on my side than yours. Like I said, you're emotionally stunted - not just by human terms, but ours too." 

"That's why you're dubious. And you don't understand how deep this connection will run. I do. Every single member of my colony does. They expected me to stay behind. It would be futile for me to have left with them, because I would want to come back."

A wan smile curved his mouth. "So saying I gave them up isn't as accurate as I didn't have a choice. I would've came back for you in any case. Why it's you - I don't know. I didn't even expect you to be capable of bonding, considering the circumstances of your birth. But I want to be around you - not all the time, but a pretty big chunk of it. I like you, even if you are a grumpy, snarky bastard with a semi-permanent scowl." He flashed the warrior a charming smile. "You make me laugh, and you're a big softie, deep down."

His grin widened. "And I know you like me. Enough not to kill me when I get in your personal space, annoy you when you're trying to meditate, team up with Gohan to embarrass you..." 

Piccolo felt his face flushing in embarrassment as Nail drew minutely closer. 

"You don't have to keep reminding me," he grumbled, flustered. The warrior was perfectly aware of his stunted emotional growth, realizing it more and more with each passing day, minute, even second. The more he hung around with Gohan, and, by extension, Nail, Piccolo found himself conscience, even self-conscience, of his lack of emotional intelligence. He could tell when Gohan or even the boy's terrifying mother was upset, when they were happy, angry, sad, elated... But it took him longer than he thought it should. 

His ears flicked again, and the color on his face deepened. "I... Have an inkling of what you mean," he murmured, eyes meeting Nail's, holding that sky-colored gaze. He could never go back to his former life of isolation, not after Gohan. It would kill him. 

And... "I am glad you stayed," he murmured after a long silence. "It's...not entirely unpleasant having another namekian around."

Nail's eyes widened a fraction in genuine surprise at his statement. His smile soon followed, brighter, more sincere. 

"Aw shucks. Next you'll be telling me you occasionally enjoy my company." He was joking, of course. That wouldn't be something Piccolo would admit for a long time and after days of coercion. "So," he stepped closer, slinking around the other namekian - too far to so much as brush against him, but closer nonetheless. "Let's recap. We're bonding. The bond is emotional connection first, physical attraction later." His eyes flickered over Piccolo's face, fleetingly. "And it lasts for a lifetime. Our lifetime."

He paused, directly in front of the other. Nail wasn't going to give him the 'talk' - that would be awkward, even for him. In any case, there would be no need to for quite some time.  "Any questions?" His brow quirked. 

Piccolo shook his head. It was lie, he was quite curious, as curious as one could expect him to be in such a situation. However, he was far too confused to formulate a proper query. 

There was still an obvious flush on his face, crinkling his skin where it touched him. 

"I... When did you realize that your feelings had shifted?"

He wondered if that was too personal, if Nail even knew. Certainly, he had not noticed a change, other than admitting to himself that he found the other to be interesting. Nail had countless knowledge that Piccolo lacked; he knew their race, their abilities, development... Knowledge of his people's culture... Everything that Piccolo had been denied due to the circumstances of his birth. And Nail... Nail could offer him all of that. 

And...

Maybe more?

Piccolo tilted his head to the side, curious as to if Nail would - or could - answer him. "I am just... Unused to people taking such interest in me." Unless they were the Kid, of course. 

A silence passed as Nail contemplated his own feelings, eyes closing. 

"There wasn't a precise point. I mean..." a sigh escaped him, one indicative of his true age. "It was a gradual process. For a long time, I thought I was merely curious about you, being, well, who you are - not of our planet, born under circumstances no other namekian I knew has been, being a descendant of Katas; who, of course, escaped the Great Calamity..."

"Over time I recognised that I had come to enjoy your company, and I sought it out. I still didn't think too much of it. Every time I spoke to you, I became more intrigued. When Gohan spoke of you to me, I found myself more drawn, wanting to see what lay under all of..." Nail gestured, indicating Piccolo's gruffness, grumpiness. "And I see flashes of it, when you speak of him, when you reminisce. I wanted to see that more and more. It was only when I was ready to leave that I realised I couldn't." His eyes crinkled as his lips tugged into a soft smile. "And that was when I realised what I felt. Anyway, I don't want to gush. Unless you enjoy the ego-boost." Nail smirked, crossing his arms. "Now you need to explain to me why you haven't killed me yet." 

Piccolo processed Nail's words, listening intently and nodding when he deemed it appropriate. He watched Nail's face, reading the openness of the other's face. The namekian tilted his head to the side once more, "I..." He blinked and shrugged. "I haven't killed you yet because..." The namekian pursed his lips, unsure of how to word his explanation. He decided on something simple. "You have yet to give me a reason," Piccolo said at last, "I don't have so terrible a temper to slaughter willy-nilly." At least not anymore. When he was a child, a teen, yes... Thankfully, he had outgrown such behavior. "Nail..." Piccolo's words were quiet, long ears twitching. He fell silent, posture more relaxed, although still tense. He closed his eyes, "I am going to need...time to think about this. All of this."

Nail would understand, surely. They were a like, he and Nail. The other man was a warrior just like him. There was already a mutual level of understanding from that alone, without the budding bond...which certainly helped to key him into the other's thoughts, intentions, and even emotions…

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Piccolo." Nail sighed, setting his hands on his hips. "We  _ agreed _ ."

It was a good thing he had lived a life shepherding tiny sprouts, disciplining mopey teens, and correcting Guru's frequent lapses of memory; for it had built up a reservoir of patience that not even Goku on caffeine could drain completely. It came in handy for the times when Piccolo was reluctant to do something, and instead of even trying to come up with a half-decent excuse out of it, latched on to the nearest landscape fixture. In this case, a tree.

"If you don't come down, I'll lift the tree from its roots and take you to Chichi's myself." His tone was calm, but serious - he was serious. "It was _ you _ who wanted to take Gohan out for a day, and I'm sorry but y'can't just spirit him away like you used to. Those days are gone." He smirked. "Hey, if you're that scared of the mother, don't worry.  _ I’ll protect you _ ." That would, of course, fill Piccolo with enough indignance that he would insist on going, just to prove he wasn't afraid. Nail didn't really blame him - Chichi was terrifying. He would rather face Frieza with a headache than incur her wrath. Still, she was, by  _ his  _ account, lovely. And Piccolo had to learn not to run away from his problems, eventually.

Piccolo growled as Nail managed to pry him loose from the tree. "Son Chichi does not  _ frighten  _ me," he snapped. "She is simply loud and..." The namekian pinned his ears. Abrasive? Terrifying? Dammit, he could not even lie to himself, Chichi scared him. The little woman scared the bejeebies out of him. How on Earth had sweet little Gohan come out of her? "And I certainly don't need your protection!" He harrumphed loudly and allowed Nail to drag him away from the safety of his tree. "I just..." His ears moved like satellites, twitching agitatedly. "I just want to spend time with the Kid, not his..." Piccolo's voice dropped down to near inaudible levels, "...shrieking banshee of a mother."

He felt guilty, not truly  _ disliking _ Chichi so much as simply  _ fearing _ her - the woman had tended to several wounds he acquired from sparring over the past few months. She unnerved him. 

No, however, even half as much as did Nail. No, Nail had a way of squirming past his barriers and working past his walls. 

Piccolo scowled and floated sourly beside Nail. "Fine," he growled, knowing that it would break Gohan's heart if he bailed. 

A soft chuckle slipped past the warrior's lips, knowing fine well how Piccolo really felt about the tiny woman. 

"Oh, she's not that frightening, once you get t'know her." Nail had even had tea with her a few times. The way he had spoken of Piccolo had changed her perspective on him, considerably. Of course, they hadn't been on bad terms, per se, but he knew she would take his opinion more seriously than the others when it came to the former demon. They were far closer in age, and certainly more similar in values than any of the Z Fighters were to her.

He reached out, lightly tweaking one of Piccolo's long ears. "Lighten up," he hummed, grinning and moving in front of Piccolo, his flight leisurely. He turned to face him. "You really need to learn how to-" not smile, that was asking for too much "-not  _ scowl _ . It's no wonder she gets her back up around you. Most people just think you're a permanent grouch." Well - Piccolo was, kind of, but he had a decent sense of humour, and wasn't prone to bad moods in themselves. They set down in front of the small house, Nail shoving his hands in his pockets and whistling, strolling up to the door. He knocked. His ears perked at a yelled  _ 'door's open!' _ . Nail glanced back to Piccolo, grinning and gesturing. "Why don't you have the pleasure of announcing our presence to Gohan?" 

Piccolo skulked, giving Nail a half-glare before opening the door and calling for his charge.

"Kid, y'ready?" 

There was barely a pause before Gohan's footsteps thundered across the floor, and the child catapulted himself across the threshold.

"Piccolo!"

"Dammit, n-" too late, Piccolo understood the boy's intentions, and failed to dodge. Gohan barreled into him around the middle, knocking the stoic namekian off of his feet. Gohan giggled and buried his face in Piccolo's chest. "I'm so excited! And so is Mom! I mean, she won't say it but..." He clung to his best friend as Piccolo sat up, ignoring the man's grumbling. 

"What have I said about jumping on me, huh?"

Gohan giggled again and kissed Piccolo on the cheek as the namekian's strong arms curled around him. 

"Not to, but I know you don't mind!" He turned to Nail, looking down in amusement. "How are you, Mr. Nail?" Gohan beamed and tilted his head to the side.

Nail pursed his lips, trying very, very hard not to laugh at the sight of Piccolo, disgruntled and rumpled on the floor, with a tiny child utop him. Albeit, a very cute child. It was no wonder Piccolo let Gohan trample all over his 'boundaries'. He himself was a little less of a pushover, being used to children, but he wouldn't say that to Piccolo. He cared little about appearing 'soft'. "I'm grand." His brow quirked. "I've got those shorts you kept telling me to get, and I've got a pair for Piccolo too." He leaned in, whispering loudly "his are pink." 

"I should've known it'd be you two," came a voice from behind him, and Nail turned to see Chichi shuffling towards them, clad in a bathrobe and slippers. "Honestly, with all the racket you two beanpoles make - Gohan! Don't sit on Piccolo in the hallway!"

"Chill, Chi." Nail smiled broadly, taking in the woman's face. She looked different - prettier; eyes lined, cheeks tinted pink and lips glossed. "Where you goin' anyway?” He gestured to her face. "Nice war paint you got goin' on." He stuck his tongue out, snickering and ducking out the way as she moved to swat him.

"Idiot." She made a face, but in good nature. "I'm going out for lunch, if you must know. Now, Gohan, go get your bag from the kitchen. I've packed a towel, a lunch, some water, and sunscreen - don't forget to put on the sunscreen! You've went all pale again, and you'll burn out in that sun." Her commanding gaze turned to Piccolo. "I want him back for six, he'll need his dinner. Do you have a watch? Gohan has one. Just make sure he doesn't drink any of that lake water, there's all sorts in it! Do you need a towel? Oh I keep forgetting that you have that materialising ability, silly me!" She laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot to ask." She nudged Nail. "Are you two dating, or what? Hey Gohan, there's a little homework assignment for you. Find out if these two are boyfriends." She gave Piccolo a friendly, albeit suggestive, wink.

Piccolo spluttered, face flushing violet and looking horribly embarrassed, flustered.

"W-we most certainly a-are _ not! _ " he snapped at Chichi, glowering at her and standing, setting a guffawing Gohan down to collect his things. 

"It's not good to lie, Mister Piccolo," the boy called over his shoulder, grabbing up his bag in the kitchen and running back over to the two namekians, "come on! Let's go!" He practically threw the bag at Piccolo, who caught it despite how flustered he remained from Chichi's statement. 

"I - we - I don't... Ughh," Piccolo groaned and gave Chichi a look that may have cowed a lesser person, but Chichi was no ordinary woman after all. "Let's go," he grumbled to Nail, still positively violet at the very thought of he and Nail...dating... Being... Intimate... 

He took off without further ado, flustered and refusing to look back at his... At his... Nail. His? His Nail? Oh dear Kami... Piccolo growled loudly and waited, hovering despite himself, for Nail. 

His Nail. 

Other partners may have been offended, even hurt, at such a rebuttal; but Nail was more than accustomed to Piccolo's aloof nature, his reluctance to admit any kind of attachment. It was cute, if anything. Of course, he would've preferred it if Piccolo could own up to his feelings, but then, where was the challenge in that? Nail enjoyed working him out, opening him up, bit by bit. It was like working out a puzzle, and Nail was persistent enough to keep going - even if it occasionally became a source of frustration.

Dammit it all, this whole  _ bond _ thing was moving far too quickly! Even if Piccolo knew that Nail would never push him, he barely trusted his own feelings towards the other!

Gohan bobbed beside him, face creased with anxiety.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry if I said something to upset you..." The apology was easy to hear in the child's voice. 

"You're fine, Kid," he grunted.

"It's just I thought you  _ liked _ Nail, and he likes you, so I just -"

"It's complicated Kid," Piccolo cut off the boy, turning to meet his gaze and reaching out a hand to stroke his hair. "I..."

"Because you're both boys?"

Piccolo choked, and Gohan giggled, throwing his arms around the namekian's neck. "Because Mommy says it doesn't matter who anyone loves as long as it's love and everyone's good to each other." 

"Sounds... Sounds good, Kid."

His ears perked at the sound of Gohan's voice, and he flew at a distance from the pair, tuning it out. It wasn't his place to butt in. Of course, judging by the child's expression, it probably had something to do with Piccolo's affronted reaction to Chichi asking if they had been going out. It mattered little. 

He was the first to touch down at the lake. It was scenic, peaceful - it would be silent if not for the few families scattered around the perimeter of the water. The area was surrounded by low mountains, covered with grass and the occasional thickets of trees. Nail's expression softened, and he stuck his hands in his pockets, gazing out across the water. It reminded him of Namek. 

He shook his head, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. 

"Hey," he greeted Gohan and Piccolo as they neared him. "Who wants to race me to the bottom, eh?" An easy smile curved his lips, tugging them back to reveal gleaming fangs.

Piccolo grunted and settled down on the edge of the shore, shaking his head and ignoring Nail - or at least pretending to.

"Go play with Nail," he murmured, nudging Gohan and setting the bag down on the sand. "I'll be right here, okay?"Gohan pouted, tugging on his arm, "no, Gohan."

"But this was your idea! To go to the lake and have a fun day together! I don't wanna have fun without you, Piccolo!"

Piccolo's ears flicked and he scowled, but relented, allowing Gohan to yank him towards the water. 

"Oi! Your mother said sunscreen, get over here, Kid!" 

Gohan groaned but dug the bottle out of his bag, and handed it to Piccolo before tugging off his shirt.

Although he would never admit it, Piccolo was relieved to see that Gohan was a little pudgy, looking like a child again, and not a miniature warrior. Oh, the muscles were still evident, still visible, but he was a child again, thank god. "You have to help me," he said, turning around. Piccolo rolled his eyes and knelt behind the boy, promptly applying the sunscreen.

He glanced at Nail, and gave the man a pointed look to never mention this to the other Z-Fighters. It was fruitless, the others knew by now how deep and strong his devotion to act as Gohan's father ran... But that did not mean he felt like being open about it yet...

Seeing Nail's handsome -  _ dammit _ \- face, Piccolo felt a twinge of guilt regarding his earlier words and actions.

**_I did not mean to hurt you, and apologize if I did,_ ** he communicated telepathically, antennae twitching as they transmitted the signal. Once Gohan was adequately protected against the sun, he allowed the child to play in the water, reluctantly following him, glancing back over his shoulder at Nail all the while. 

Nail's ears perked as Piccolo's voice passed through his head, smiling. It only widened when Piccolo kept looking back at him. Even so, he replayed the scenario in his mind, closing his eyes. He supposed he could be annoyed, but then, he knew what he was up against - he had since the very beginning. This kind of behaviour was no surprise to him. Even Chichi's sympathetic glance had not been able to elicit any feelings of indignance about how he had been treated. Nail knew Piccolo liked him - that was all that he was concerned about.

He strolled towards the edge of the lake, tugging off the waistcoat. 

**_Don’t sweat it,_ **  He grinned and winked at the other,  before glancing around at the surrounding area. The few families there were paying them little attention, aside from the occasional look. He tugged on his gi trousers, pulling them and his shoes off. 

"Do you like swimming, Gohan?" Nail stood, hesitating for a brief moment before pulling off the traditional neck covering, standing in shorts. "How long can you hold your breath for?"He rubbed the back of his neck. It felt strange, being exposed to the open air. Piccolo...hadn't picked that particular part of their races' etiquette up, Nail had noticed, but there was little point mentioning it now. No human, or any of the other races that inhabited earth, knew why they chose to cover their throats. "How did you learn how to swim, eh Pic? Did Gohan teach you?" He smirked, voice teasing. "Did you use armbands?" 

Gohan shook his head, splashing Piccolo before answering. 

"I don't think I've ever seen him swim, Sir! Hey, Piccolo, d'ya know how to swim?"

 

"Of course I know how to swim," Piccolo grumbled. Just not very well. He could manage when necessary, it just never had _ been _ necessary.Piccolo shook his head, rolling his eyes before casually tugging his clothes from his body. Clad only in a vibrant pair of purple swim shorts - a far brighter color than he would have chosen for himself - Piccolo did his best to look imposing. It was a fruitless effort, and he just looked silly, standing on the shore in highlighter-bright purple trunks with his arms crossed. 

He watched Gohan like a hawk, ensuring that his charge did not wander too far nor deep. It was silly, Piccolo mused, Gohan was far too capable and powerful to drown - at least not without an outside factor. He shook his head, ears flicking and antennae bouncing with the movement. 

"Kid, just stay nearby, okay? Otherwise your mother will flay, cook, and serve me for dinner."

Gohan guffawed and sent a wave of water at Piccolo and Nail.

"No she wouldn't! She'd miss your snark!" 

Piccolo held up a hand, too late to block the water, and was consequently soaked. He growled and pinned his ears, but did nothing else.

"Push him in, Nail! It'll be fun! C'mon!" 

Nail snorted, attempting to stifle his laughter with the back of his hand. Piccolo looked ridiculous, trying to look serious, intimidating even; when clad in bright purple shorts and with water dripping from the tips of his long ears and antenna. 

"You  _ really  _ need to lighten up," Nail whispered to him, placing his hands upon Piccolo's back and giving him a hard shove. The namekian grinned, giving Gohan a thumbs up before leaping, high over his and Piccolo's heads, landing in the water a good ten feet away. Nail entered the water smoothly, his body almost perpendicular to the surface of the lake. The water was cool, but not cold, and was pleasant to be in. He swam up to the surface, movements synchronised.

"Not too cold for you, is it?" He splashed Gohan, ears flicking to rid of excess water. His head tilted. "What strokes can you swim? Or maybe I should be asking Piccolo that." Nail smirked.

"Don't you d - Nail!" Piccolo yelped as Nail shoved him in the lake, landing face first. The tall namekian sat up, spluttering, face flushed. "Dammit, Nail!"Shaking water from himself, the stoic warrior was tempted to leave - or at least get out of the water. However... Gohan's small hands snatched one of his, tugging him into the deeper water, where Nail floated, a cheeky grin on the man's face. 

"I can swim all four strokes," Gohan answered, pulling Piccolo along, "butterfly is my favorite!" He giggled and grinned. 

Piccolo gave Nail a mock glare, and pushed through the water at him, kicking with powerful legs. 

Once close, he propelled himself at his...his boyfriend, with every intention of dunking the man. 

"Oooh, nice," Nail grinned, Gohan's innocent laughter ringing in his ears. Such a sweet child. It was little wonder Piccolo couldn't resist being dragged around by him like some stuffed toy - albeit, a giant, grumpy one. When Nail thought about it, it was precisely that which made him want to go talk to the other in the first place. What _ wasn’t  _ interesting about another namekian, born under such strange circumstances, still developing the parental, protective qualities that were known of their race? 

Piccolo intrigued him, charmed him, made Nail want to know more about him. His expression softened. The other namekians had been wary of him, but then, Nail had always been something of an...oddball, himself. That was the last thought to leave his mind before he was promptly pushed underneath the water. Nail's eyes popped open, garbling and flapping as he struggled to process what had just happened....before realisation struck him.

**_You bastard!_ ** Nail grinned, pushing himself up from underneath the water, all but launching himself at Piccolo.

He yelled, arms wrapping around the man's torso and dunking them both back in the water.

Gohan whooped as he dove out of the way of the two namekians. They were  _ definitely _ dating. He had seen enough romantic movies to recognize such antics for what they were! The boy laughed, watching Piccolo and Nail disappear beneath the lake's surface, thoroughly amused by their facial expressions. 

Piccolo struggled slightly to free himself from Nail's strong arms, before giving up and deciding to change tactics. Grinning devilishly under water - the lake was relatively clear, and Nail's face was easily visible to him - and wrapped his legs around the other's waist. Piccolo managed to push them both back up to the surface with his arms, before using his core to effectively flip Nail through the water again, this time with Piccolo back in control... 

There was something about Piccolo's smirk that made Nail pause, lips parting as his stomach flipped. Oh damn, he was attractive. High cheekbones, gleaming dark eyes, sharp fangs...of course he had always known Piccolo to be handsome - from an aesthetic point of view - but now, that was beginning to manifest in how he felt for him. The way his chest tightened in response to one of Piccolo's rare smiles, how his stomach clenched when he smirked, when he laughed...

His eyes widened. Piccolo had managed to regain control during Nail's distraction. Once his surprise had passed, he smirked. He had been played like a fiddle. A cheeky smile crossed his face, creasing his bright eyes. 

**_Smooth move,_ ** he purred over their bond before pinching the man's thigh, wriggling out his grasp.

He grinned and wrapped his arms - and legs - around Piccolo, batting his eyelids at him underneath the water. 

 

Piccolo's eyes widened and he squirmed as Nail once again regained the upper hand. He wiggled, worming his way out of the other man's arms. It was harder than expected. 

After what he deemed too long a time to be pinned by one's budding lover, Piccolo's head burst through the surface, and he shook his head. Spluttering, he reached down and hauled Nail up with him **_._ **

**_You win,_ ** he conceded, face flushed from both their antics and being bested by the other. 

Gohan, tracking the "battle" with his ki sense, grinned to himself. Piccolo was not lonely anymore! It was wonderful. He was so happy Nail had decided to stay - a not-so-secret part of him wished Dende had done the same - although at the time, he had been unsure of the other's motives. It was clear to him now. 

The boy wondered if Piccolo was fully aware that he, too, was falling in love with Nail. Gohan supposed he must at least suspect it... 

Piccolo and Nail popped up, and Gohan swam over to them.

"Are you two done being silly? You're supposed to play with _ me!” _

Nail surfaced, inhaling a few, shallow breaths before flashing Gohan an apologetic smile. "

Sorry kiddo," he said, flicking his hand and lightly splashing the pair beside him. His own cheeks were flushed with a mixture of exertion and delight. Piccolo was so stoic and serious that it always a pleasant surprise when he decided to loosen up. "What kinda game do you wanna play?" He reached out, grasping Gohan and setting him upon his broad shoulders. "How about underwater tag? Piccolo can be 'it'. Or  _ you  _ can be it and try to chase us, eh? I mean, if you want a real challenge you should just go for me and ignore ol' slowpoke here." He winked playfully at Piccolo, indicating that he was, of course, joking.

Gohan giggled and hugged the back of Nail's head, "or we can play pirates! Oh, or maybe explorers? Ooh, I could be an explorer and you guys can be new species and I have to try and learn about your habits and customs and it'll be fun and I have to be careful otherwise I might scare you away -"

"That...sounds elaborate," Piccolo muttered, arms crossed over his glistening chest. His ears and antennae twitched to flick excess water from them. "But it's your day," he added.

"What d'you think, Nail? Oh, this is so fun!" Gohan giggled and stood on the slightly stockier namekian's broad shoulders. "May I cannon ball off of you, Sir?"

"Gohan, be careful!" Piccolo made an exasperated noise, moving towards the other two. 

"Explorers," Nail echoed, chuckling quietly. The kid had always displayed intrigue in his species, and at first Nail thought it was purely because of his closeness to Piccolo, but it soon became apparent that Gohan had a natural thirst for knowledge. It reminded him of Dende, he thought, expression faltering slightly. He closed his eyes, resetting. "How about we stick to something a bit simpler, and I'll tell you all I know about namekians later on, eh?"

Which was quite a lot. Being Guru's bodyguard, Nail not only held a vast knowledge about their race as it was, but also for how it was prior to the Calamity. He was the one who other  _ namekians _ went to! “Take it easy," Nail murmured, frowning and catching Gohan before he could move. "And y'don't need to call me Sir." He grinned. "I'm not that old. Alright, not off my shoulders, that's no good." He hauled Gohan off his shoulders, depositing him in Piccolo's arms. Raising his hands, he materialised a strong, lightweight board. "Okay, get on this, and I'll hold it while you jump off." He flashed Piccolo a reassuring smile.

Gohan huffed in mock indignation as he was dropped into Piccolo's arms, but was soon grinning again at Nail's promise. 

"Really?! All about Namekians? That sounds awesome! Y'hear that, Piccolo?!"

Piccolo cast Nail a grateful glance, cuddling Gohan subconsciously. 

"I'm right here, Kid, of course I heard." He smiled softly.  **_Thank you,_ ** he projected,  **_I made the mistake of letting him use me as a diving board once and couldn't use my right arm for a week._ **

Gohan was prone to forgetting his own strength outside of fighting.

"Ooh! A real diving platform?! Oh boy!" Gohan scrambled out of Piccolo's arms, hauling himself up onto the newly created object. "This is so cool!" Piccolo could not help but chuckle, moving closer to Nail and lifting one end of the board. He glanced over at the other namekian, meeting a crystal blue gaze for a moment. A blush flushed his emerald cheeks, tinting them violet, the color lingering even after he looked away.

Nail laughed. That was what he adored about kids; how they derived happiness out of the simplest pleasures. There was nothing complicated about making them happy. 

"Heh, knock yourself out. You could show me a real dive after this if you wanted, y'know, trying to go into the water straight, no splashing. I'll rank ya out of ten. And we could increase the height if you wanted." One of the perks of having stretchy arms. He grinned at Piccolo, eyes soft upon his face.  **_Purple suits you,_ ** he teased, fighting back the urge to reach out and touch Piccolo's burning cheeks. His abdomen tightened, fluttering pleasantly. The thought of Piccolo wanting him, wanting him emotionally - and later on, physically - it excited him. It made him feel secure.

A few dives later and a soft, distant wail cut through the lazy ambiance. Nail frowned, ears perking and twitching to pick up on the child's voice; listening into the conversation between mother and daughter.

"Oh honey," came a murmur, an effort to console the distraught child. "I'm sure your brother didn't mean to toss the necklace - oh I  _ know _ baby, I'm sorry. It'll be too deep in the water now..."

He wished he could simply ignore things like that, but it wasn't in his nature. 

"Hey," Nail murmured, lowering the board once the demi-saiyan was back in the water. "I'm gonna go look for that kid's thing." He looked to Piccolo, smiling wanly and shrugging in a 'I'm a sap, yeah I know' way before saluting to Gohan. "Time me," he winked and grinned before slipping underwater.

Piccolo too had heard the little girl's distressed crying, and, although he would not admit it, he would have gone and looked for it had Nail not beat him to the punch. 

"That's really sweet of you," Gohan slicked his hair back from his face, and started to paddle over to the little girl and her mother. "I'll see if I can distract her," he said, not realizing that Nail was underwater. 

The remaining namekian remained still, watching Gohan as he approached the child and asked her if she wanted to build sand castles with him. "Or mud castles, since there isn't a lot of sand around here." He was giving his most winning smile. 

Piccolo's lips twitched. What a good kid.

It didn't take long for Nail to find what the child had lost, assuming it had been a necklace - his ears had yet to deceive him. The delicate silver locket laid at the bottom of the lake, partially buried in the bed of sand. He scooped it up, holding it within his hand as if it were as precious as the dragon balls themselves; muscled legs kicking him back up to water's surface.He surfaced near Gohan, drifting over to the children and the mother, holding the gleaming necklace for all to see. 

"This yours?"

At the sight of her treasure, the little girl's tears instantly retreated, lips parting. "Thank ya  _ so _ much, Mister!" she gushed, pudgy arms flailing, hands grasping for the silver. 

"Ellie," the woman chastised her when the girl's hand just missed Nail's jaw. "Be careful." She cast Nail an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. The necklace holds an awful lot of sentimental value." 

Nail smiled brightly, waving her profuse expressions of thanks. 

"No problem. I can't help helping when you have such a cute kid." He caught the child's eye and grinned, who giggled in response.

"Thank you!" The woman's eyes seemed to linger upon his face, something Nail knew was probably attributed to his...appearance. However, right now, it seemed to be in a positive light. "...My name is Mila."

"Nail. At your Child-Consoling service." He smiled and mock-saluted, and as he was turning to leave, the woman caught his wrist.

"I - um - I'm sorry, I don't do this very often," the petite woman seemed rather shy - coy - "would you like to come have a bite to eat with us? A-As a way of thanks!"

Nail paused, glancing at her. Judging by her blush, it was probably for more than a thanks. 

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I'm actually going to be having something with my partner, later." He nodded towards Piccolo, giving the other namek a wink - to which, the woman promptly backed away. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I just - I just assumed you two were related!" A nervous laugh. "You look so alike!"

"Yeah, equally gorgeous," Nail smirked, eliciting a genuine, hearty laugh from the woman. "Certainly. Now, now, Ellie, say goodbye to the man and the nice boy." The girl waved her hand. 

"Buh-bye!" Nail turned, sliding down into the water, laying on his stomach. "Hey Gohan, wanna race back to Piccolo? Three, two..." Nail started early, cackling as he swam. 

Gohan chuckled, picking up on the underlying suggestion in the woman's tone. He glanced at Piccolo, seeing alert ears and a creased brow. The other namekian's posture was taught, coiled like a spring. Gohan's lips twitched, so Piccolo /was/ that attached. It was nice, seeing his friend and mentor so openly emotional. Well, not emotional. Jealous? Gohan giggled, and patted Ellie on the head, "keep that safe, okay kiddo! Have a great rest of your day! Okay Nail I - hey!"

He took off too late, and struggled to catch up. The distance was too short and Nail beat him back to Piccolo.

Piccolo's ears twitched as Nail surfaced, and it took all of his willpower to  _ not  _ wrap his arms around the man in an act of obvious possessiveness. 

"That was nice of you," he said, trying to be earnest but slightly shaken by someone flirting with his boyfriend. 

Nail was his boyfriend. 

His.  _ His _ boyfriend. 

Piccolo's ears twitched again.

Nail could practically  _ feel  _  the tension thrumming from the other namekian, and it made him frown, albeit inwardly. He couldn't deny that he would act the same, if someone had made a pass at Piccolo - possibly worse considering his protective nature. Still...he wouldn't even consider being with another. The concept was as feasible as going to live on the moon - it just wasn't something that would occur to him. 

"Complimenting me?" Nail's tone was low. "I might just be hearing things." He smirked, fangs gleaming. "Whether you deny our status as a couple or not, know that I am yours." He leaned in, voice a quiet, breathy rasp against Piccolo's ear. " _ All _ yours."

He turned, smiling brightly at Gohan as he slowed to a stop. "Alright, what delightful activities would you like to immerse us in now?" He looked up at the sky. It was getting close to the time they had to take Gohan home. "Want to dissect my knowledge of Namek?" 

Piccolo sighed, exhaling long and hard as Nail's voice tickled over his ear.

"I'm not worried about you," he muttered, but did not elaborate. He did, however, stick close to Nail as they waded back to shore, Gohan excitedly rattling off questions.

"How long does it take a namekian to reach full physical maturity? Like humans are between seventeen and twenty or so. Piccolo was apparently all grown up in three to four years. Is that normal? What sort of abilities to namekians have? How long is the gestation time?" The boy paused for breath, and Piccolo found himself flushing slightly. So many questions! He glanced at Nail, hoping his partner would not mind the Kid's enthusiasm. 

"Oh, and, this is a little personal, I guess, but how does reproduction happen? Since there seems to be a lack of dimorphism - or even a second sex?" Gohan rattled on, or at least would have, but Piccolo clapped a hand over his mouth and held him close.

Nail snorted, chuckling into the back of his hand as they reached the edge of the lake, where they had discarded their clothes. Such a curious child. It was a good thing he had given the 'talk' to many before, and thus the subject wasn't a source of embarrassment to him. 

"Alright, alright slow down kiddo." Crystalline eyes sparkled with mirth. 

"Namekians reach physical maturity at the age of sixteen, but Piccolo's growth was accelerated because of the circumstances of his birth." He paused, glancing to Piccolo. He didn't suppose the subject was a very sensitive one, and even if it was there would be no one he felt more comfortable with it being discussed than Gohan. "So no, it's not normal. However, it doesn't seem to have affected his physical development. We do have a range of innate abilities, the most known probably being regeneration." He dried his face, the backs of his ears. "We can pretty much regenerate any part of our body as long as our heads aren't damaged. Our ability to grow cells is just much more efficient than that of most races, including humans. That's also why we have such a long lifespan.” He paused, considering the rest of the questions, “There's the stretchy limb thing, the growth thing - don't ask me how _ that  _ works, I have no idea how." He laughed. "Then there's the photosynthesizing. That was a post-Calamity development that Guru engineered us with. Namek has three suns, so it was much easier to just collect energy that way whilst the planet recovered. We can still eat normal food, though, most of the namekians you saw just don't have the appetite for it because they aren't used to eating, at all." Nail began to tick his answers off on his fingers. "We are telekinetic and telepathic," he added, gesturing to his antennae. "What normally happens is that we form communal links with other namekians as soon as we meet them. This means we can sense each other's emotions, feelings. It's kind of like a, uh, hyper-empathy. It's an ability that develops when we grow up in the colonies. That's why you don't see namekians fighting." He looked at Piccolo. "I never expected Piccolo to be able to form those sorts of links, just because of how he was born, but hey, that's exactly what he formed with you. Only, it's more akin to a parental bond, much stronger. There's a few other things, but..." He raised a brow. "I'm not going to go into the gory details of how we reproduce, kid. Chichi would kill me. But I'll tell you how those kinds of relationships are formed, alright?" 

Gohan was practically bouncing up and down with the influx of information. Almost did not even mind when Nail denied answering how reproduction occurred. Almost. 

The word "gory" caught his attention, and his memory instantly flicked back to an article on slugs he had read a few months previously. Namekians  _ did  _ bear several similarities to the creatures... Gohan tilted his head, eyeing Piccolo and Nail critically. 

He remembered running down the stairs to his mother, yelling, "certain species of slug reproduce orally, and then have to bite their mates' penises off!" 

Chichi's had let him watch cartoons for the rest of the day, and given him a break from biology for a week.That certainly seemed gory! But...there was no way, right? That would be awful! Gohan's eyes widened. Namekians, and the slugs who reproduced in that way, were able to regenerate! 

"I...I think it's better that I wait to learn where namekian babies come from," he agreed weakly, laughing shakily. "S-so yeah, the bond. How is the bond formed?" 

Piccolo noted the pallor that came over Gohan's face, and he scooped the child up into his arms, feeling him for a fever or or other symptom of illness. 

He listened intently, blinking as he learned, probably just as much as Gohan. 

Yet... He swallowed, not entirely sure how namekian sex occurred either. 

Nail's brow creased, slightly confused by the way the colour drained from Gohan's face. He went over his words - was it because he had said Piccolo's growth was abnormal? No, no, he was fine with that - engrossed even, up until he said - He groaned. 

"I didn't  _ literally _ mean gory, by the way, I just don't want your mother boiling me alive for telling you how our race gets it- I mean, how we  _ reproduce _ ." Nail began dressing, slipping his trousers and waistcoat on. His eyes flicked to Piccolo, who looked equally clueless. Guru help him. "...But I suppose she won't kill me if I tell you for science. Alright. Our race only has the one sex. We have two sets of sexual organs. The 'female' part is in our throats and chests, that's why we cough up eggs. The 'male' part is pretty similar to the set up the males of your race has got goin' on." That's how detailed he was willing to get. They could work the rest out themselves!

“All namekians start to ovulate after physical maturity is reached. Any namekian can reproduce either sexually or asexually – with genetic variation or not. We can introduce genetic variation by adding DNA from outside sources into the reproduction process. This can happen by literally adding sources of DNA, for example, Dende was conceived with a singular parent’s DNA and with the addition of wildflowers. That’s the type of sexual reproduction that happens with unmated namekians, because no namekian experiences sexual attraction unless they are mated. Sexual attraction occurs exclusively between bonded pairs because it’s a process which develops only after telepathic and emotional connections are formed. As far as I know, it involves our actual telepathic connection as  _ well  _ as pheromones and all that stuff – which is why even if, say, Piccolo has a biological twin, I wouldn’t feel an iota of attraction towards them, because I’m not actually bonded with them, see?” 

Gohan was once again listening with rapt attention, the color having returned to his face. "The bond is just a really strong telepathic connection. I - I'm not actually sure what makes it form, all I know is that your brain is wired to receive a particular wavelength and if you don't find it, it doesn't form. That's why I went thirty-odd years with nothing, until..." he smiled and gestured towards Piccolo. "So put in gushy, romantic terms, you only form that bond with someone who is  _ meant  _  for you. Your soulmate." He gestured. "And it's a lifelong bond. I've not seen anything less than death break it." Nail paused, "...Also, reproduction is encouraged for mated pairs  _ much _ more. They go into a heat-like state during ovulation, after they start to feel sexual attraction to our mates. After conception, the egg grows in our chest for about four months, we cough it up, and then it hatches about a week or so later." He slipped the neck ruffle over his neck, adjusting it. "Got it?" 

Piccolo swallowed, and Gohan nodded. The boy was obviously piecing the information together quickly, and Piccolo could feel relief stemming from him. 

Long ears twitched. 

"Time to head home, hmm?" He murmured, glancing around. Under the high afternoon sun, more humans were beginning to arrive. The sooner they left, the sooner people stopped giving the trio funny looks. 

"Yeah," Gohan yawned, and settled against Piccolo's chest. "I'm tired..." 

The namekian shook his head, knowing that boy just wanted to cuddle. He was, however, not opposed to such an occurrence, and adjusted his hold on his kid. 

He wanted time with Nail.

Not, of course, to do anything...overly physical... But... Piccolo felt the need for something...more than what they had been doing. It only took a few minutes to return to Gohan's house tucked away in the mountains. Chichi was outside, hanging up laundry, and waved to them. Piccolo shook Gohan lightly, urging him to wake as they touched down.

The boy made a face and cuddled more deeply into his gi.

"C'mon, Kid. Up." 

"Long day, huh?" Chichi chuckled as she headed over to them, seeing her baby's relaxed, sleepy face. 

"Hmm, fell asleep before we'd even fully taken off."

Chichi smiled and held out her arms.

"Good, good. Here, I'll take him, just leave the bags there, I'll get them in a minute..." She cradled Gohan, who looked a little ridiculous in her petite arms. At eight, the boy was growing quickly, although not as tall as his mother yet... It was only a matter of time... 

Nail smiled lightly at the mother, watching Chichi's face soften immeasurably underneath her dark bangs. "He's a good kid," he murmured, receiving her bright smile in response. She deserved better than that Goku. His chest clenched. "It's a pleasure to look after him. I'll drop by in a few days, alright?"

"Okay," Chichi nodded, tilting her head towards Piccolo. "Thank you." 

"See, that wasn't so bad," Nail hummed lightly, teasing Piccolo over his earlier reluctance to encounter the little woman. He had also noticed the way his mate's eyes lingered upon Gohan's face, the youthful features. He knew that expression well. "They grow up fast, don't they?" His own tone echoed reminiscence. "I remember when Dende hatched. I was the first to hold him after Guru." A proud smile flitted across his face. "Guess that's why he became attached to me so quickly, so easily. It was the same with Cargo..."


	3. Chapter 3

It was not long before they touched down at the cave Nail had claimed as his own. It was filled with things, trinkets given to him by the Z-Fighters, as well as more practical things Chichi had given him. Mementos from Namek, drawings the sprouts had made him. Photographs. Nail was a sentimental person. He glanced towards Piccolo. "You alright?" he murmured, reaching out and grasping his hands. "You've been quiet, or rather, not grumbling. That's quite uncharacteristic of you." Nail smiled.

"I am fine," Piccolo murmured, sitting down after a moment's hesitation. He was unsure as of yet what it was exactly that he desired. Physical contact? Certainly nothing without clothing, but...

"Nail... Would you..." Piccolo closed his eyes and flicked his ears. "Sit with me. For a while?"

That was not it, Piccolo knew, but it was closer. It was good enough for now. Perhaps he would even figure out what it was he desired, with enough time. He did, Piccolo knew, want to feel the warmth from his lover-to-be's body next to his, radiating and mingling. But how to ask?

His antennae flicked, and he opened his eyes, meeting Nail's gaze.

So that was what was up - Piccolo desired some kind of contact, and knowing him, it would be more affectionate than simply sitting together. Nail knew Piccolo was hardly the sort to ask, so he must've particularly wanted it. His lips tugged into a smile. "Sure," he murmured, giving his hands a light squeeze and pulling him down to the floor of the cave.

However, when Piccolo sat down, Nail promptly wrapped his arms around his neck, pressing their foreheads together. How perturbed his expression was when Nail had returned from assisting that child...

It pained him, and yet a part of him relished the fact Piccolo cared enough to _dislike_ him being propositioned by another.

"C'mere," he pulled a pillow down from the 'nest' he had fashioned from himself, before pulling them _both_ down to lie together, sprawled across the floor of the cave. It wasn't as if Piccolo had much of a choice, with the way Nail had wrapped himself around him, purring and pressing their noses together.

Piccolo made a small noise of surprise - not objection - when Nail wrapped his arms around him. He barely even resisted when his mate pulled him down next to him. What little struggling occurred was done entirely out of principle.

His entire face flushed violet, but tentatively, his arms mirrored Nail's, circling around the stockier namekian's torso. This was.... His heart fluttered, stomach flip-flopping.  Pleasant. He wiggled closer, not by much, but enough to truly press their bodies together.

Contentment washed over him, warm like sunbeams on a spring day.

Piccolo's dark eyes softly caught Nail's, and held his gaze through half-closed eyes.

"This is nice," he murmured in Namekian , slipping into their native tongue without thought.  Piccolo doubted that he had ever been so relaxed, had ever felt so safe, warm.

Piccolo had never been one for snuggling, or at least not openly, and yet this felt...natural. The warrior sighed again, and close his eyes, "I am... I am thankful that our minds synchronized. I never realized how much I needed..."

Nail's own face was flushed, unable and unwilling to suppress the pleasure he felt at holding his mate, truly embracing him. Piccolo was such a closed off, aloof person, and Nail was not that much different. Living the life of a warrior, as they had both did, required one to restrain emotion to project the image of strength. Solidity. Yet he had wanted nothing more than to open himself up to the younger male. As cantankerous as Piccolo was, he really did have all the qualities that he desired in a mate - he was sensible, consistent, yet exciting. He was interesting, he was snarky, he was funny. He was kind, so kind under that front of his...

"Heh. I always thought I was just too much of a loner for this kind of stuff." As friendly as Nail was, he preferred his own company, or the pleasant solitude that he experienced with Guru, to that of anyone else. "I feel honoured that you can be this way with me. I certainly do not take it for granted. I know how difficult it is to open up your very being to another."

As a rather smug afterthought, he added "I told you you'd come to like me." His hand reached behind Piccolo's head, caressing one of his long ears, fingers trailing along and behind the outer ridge. His antenna twitched, sliding tentatively over the other's, wrapping and twisting around them.

Piccolo was about to say something snarky in response when the gentle electricity slipped through his system. His eyes opened as Nail's antennae curled around his, his own reciprocating. The four sensitive stalks swayed, moving of their own accord, blending until it was almost impossible to distinguish which ones were his, and which were Nail's.

The warrior made a low, quiet noise, cuddling closer and pressing his brows to his lover's.

"What is this?"even over the link, Piccolo's voice sound breathier, panted out. It was warm, it was comforting, and... Yes, his earlier description of electric fit.

It was wonderful.

Piccolo's arms squeezed Nail more tightly for a moment before relaxing, content to laze on the ground, antennae twisting, uncurling, caressing, and brushing.

He could do this all day, he thought to himself, opening his eyes again.

This was it, the thing for which his body and mind had been searching. Piccolo's dark eyes were as soft as velvet, gentle and warm on Nail's face.

"Uh," his response wasn't particularly intelligent, but he cared little in that moment. Piccolo filled his senses, his mind, causing electricity to thrum throughout his body. It was almost overwhelming, and entirely delightful. "It's...kinda like the human equivalent of kissing, because kissing to us is obviously much more intimate between partners," he responded, referring to the fact their sex organs laid in their throat and chest. The mouth was a much more erogenous area for them than it was for humans. Nail's chest vibrated with the intensity of his low purrs. "I have but one request." He rubbed his nose against the other's. "Please do not deny our status as a bonding pair. A couple, if you will. It is not something I particularly care to broadcast, but I do not want others to think you are...ashamed, of me." His brow quirked. "I mean, that would be ridiculous of course. Look how handsome I am."He grinned, but his eyes remained serious, as still and calm as the sea.

"I can do that,"Piccolo agreed, nose twitching, arms pulling the other even closer. "I will not deny it if asked," he had no problem with such an arraignment. He was sorry for his earlier reaction, his guilt seeping through their ever-deepening bond. "Kissing, huh? Well, this looks more pleasant than that sloppy lip-locking nonsense that humans do," Piccolo joked, smirking as he brought up a hand to caress Nail's handsome face.

His... He had a mate. It was a wondrous situation. Who would have thought that he, of all people, would find a mate? Piccolo's long fingers trailed over Nail's cheekbones, tracing the blush on the man's face. "Mine..."

"I agree," Nail muttered, his nose crinkling. In Namekian culture, it was certainly too intimate an act to be displayed publicly - it was, all things considered, a type of sexual intercourse. As a result, he couldn't help but find it _weird_ how casually human couples did it, even if he knew it held entirely different connotations to them.

Humans were strange in general - he couldn't fathom why that woman would want to get to know him, romantically, based on the fact he retrieved something for her daughter. For all she knew, he could've been an axe murderer! Alright, so that was exaggerating things a little, but still...

The thought slipped from his mind as Piccolo caressed his cheek. "I agree with that too," he purred, flashing a smirk of his own in return. His arms encircled Piccolo's waist, pulling and pressing their bodies together once more. "I like the way you say it. You should say that more often. All the time, if you so pleased. Just as I will claim you as mine, too..."

He sighed and squeezed his mate. "You should stay here tonight. I don't want you to leave. I like having you right here..."

"I would like that... For you to call me yours... And to stay..." Piccolo's voice dropped to a soft murmur. Oh, how much he had needed this... Being held...holding another... It was not even the vulnerability, it was the comfort, the safety in _being_ vulnerable.

A long, long sigh escaped him, and Piccolo's antennae slowly retracted.

He curled his body, cuddling into Nail in an almost catlike fashion, inhaling and exhaling in a long purr. It was only the late afternoon, the darkness far off, but Piccolo had no desire to do anything else, to leave this safe, wonderful embrace. He pressed his face gently into Nail's broad chest, hearing his mate's powerful heartbeat. He sighed in contentment, before shuffling back up to pull Nail close. Piccolo purred quietly, the sound rumbling and low. He settled himself on his back, cuddling Nail to the broad expanse of his chest.

They were, overall, the same size, Nail a little shorter and wider than Piccolo. In retrospect, his mate's chest may have made the better pillow for him... Nail... The weight of Nail's head on his chest felt so right...

It was difficult staying awake. Nail felt so relaxed around Piccolo, and that combined with his warm chest and the deep purr that rippled from it certainly had a lulling effect. Still, he supposed falling asleep would seem rather rude, considering how early it still was for such things.

He wriggled up, brushing his lips against Piccolo's cheek. "Look, I'm gonna take what I can get here." Nail grinned, kissing Piccolo's face a little more enthusiastically, hands reaching to touch and stroke his ears. He couldn't help but feel excited, knowing the other had finally opened up to the concept of affection - with him at least.

Piccolo's face flushed as Nail's lips brushed against his cheek, and he turned his head, blinking quizzically. His ears twitched, causing him to reflexively lean into his love's gentle touch.

After a moment, he lifted his chin, a hand cupping Nail's chin, and his lips ghosted over the man's jaw.

"That's fine by me," Piccolo murmured, pressing his lips to Nail's forehead, right between the pert antennae.

Nail made a soft noise, eyes widening in surprise. For one thing, he didn't expect Piccolo to actually reciprocate - merely tolerate - and as well as that, the gentle little kisses had both been to rather sensitive, although chaste areas.

"Well, you better get used to it." He pressed their noses together, purring deeply. The situation was more than delightful for him - all his people were safe, the galaxy was at peace and he was lying within Piccolo's arms. He leaned up on an elbow, gazing upon Piccolo with a contemplative expression. "How would you feel about going to visit Na-- New Namek, sometime?" It had been on his mind to go back, but of course, he did not wish to do so without his mate. "Not now, obviously, but uh, in a few months or something? I wanna see Dende, and see how the others are doing." A cheeky smirk crossed his face. "And show off my gorgeous mate."

"New Namek?" Piccolo's ears twitched, interested. He remembered the sweet little boy - Dende - and how...comforting...it had been to be around other namekians. He adjusted his position, head leaning on his palm.

"I would not be opposed to such a thing," he murmured. Piccolo contemplated the notion, nodding slowly. "Yes," the warrior said slowly, "I would be willing to visit yo - our - people..."

He placed a quiet emphasis on 'visit,' unintentional as it were, unwilling to contemplate permanently leaving earth. It was unfair, he supposed, as Nail had been willing to stay behind, leaving his family, for Piccolo. He felt a twinge of guilt.

Nail's ears flicked as he felt a pang of...guilt, across their bond. The way he had said 'visit' did not slip past him either.

"Don't worry about me deciding to stay here. I was more than willing to." He flashed Piccolo a reassuring smile. "...Honestly, as soon as I got here I knew I would be a little reluctant to leave anyway. I loved Namek, but I've always wondered what it would've been like elsewhere."

"You have your obligations here. You have Gohan. Dende and the other kids, they have the colony. They're fine without me." In all honesty, he knew Piccolo needed him more than his family back home. That had been apparent to him from the very beginning. "I know you've had Gohan, but...I knew you missed the company of your own people. You probably just didn't realise how much because you've never had it. That's why I kept bugging you so much." He grinned, and nudged the taller namekian. "Also because I got a kick out of winding you up, ehehe."

Piccolo nodded slowly, relieved, nodding and curling up against Nail.

"I... I mean no offense when I say that living on New Namek would have been quite boring for me,” he felt guilty saying such a thing, but... Nail knew through their bond. Piccolo would never have been satisfied living among such peaceful people.

He frowned; that was a problem, was it not? That he craved...not even adventure, but action. Danger.

His ears twitched several times, and his head tilted to the side, "I am sure Dende and the others miss you greatly," Piccolo murmured, thinking of Nail's smile, his laugh, the twinkle in his eyes. Even just the way he stood, walked, flew. There a smoothness, a grace, to Nail that none other possessed. Piccolo reached out a hand to caress the other's face.

"I don't suppose you have a timeframe in mind? I am loathe to leave Gohan without a father figure."

Nail chuckled.

"Oh no, I can relate, believe me. You have a warrior's spirit, like myself. It's very difficult to satisfy that...appetite, living on Namek. I speak from experience." His arms wrapped around the other. A smirk curved his lips. "I was forever in trouble as a youngster, and not much better as an adolescent. I craved stimulation, and I had already bested every warrior from every village there was." His expression softened. "Hence why I was given the position of Guru's Guardian. It was really just to give me a sense of purpose, which it did. It obviously bored me at first, and I wasn't interested in talking to some old man. But I soon discovered Guru had a knowledge of combat far vaster than my own. He taught me, much like King Kai taught you, what I know." His eyes were glazed over with reminiscence. "And then he went on to teach me more - the history of our people, what everything was like prior to the Calamity. He told me about the technology our people had, how advanced they were."

"Losing him left a great burden on my soul. He was my purpose - not quite like how Gohan is to you, but along that line." A sigh escaped him. "But I know he would want me to find another. I don't know what that is, yet, but all I know is that I won't find it on Namek. He shook his head. "Listen to me rambling on like some old geezer." He laughed. "Anyway, sometime next year? We could take Gohan with us, Dende would love that." The two boys had developed a strong friendship. He could see the pain in his younger brother's eyes when they had to part. "I'm sure I can convince Chichi, somehow. Tell her it's for a science thing." He grinned. "Or just utilise my endless supply of charm and wit."

Piccolo perked up at the prospect of bringing Gohan; surely Chichi would allow them to do so. After all, Gohan was a growing, curious kid... And if Goku was still not home... It would be nice for the boy.

He gave Nail a small squeeze, feeling his mate's lingering emotion filtering through their powerful bond. Piccolo pulled Nail closer and gave him a lingering kiss on the forehead, sending peaceful, calming sensations across it.

"I think that would be wonderful," the warrior murmured, elegant hand caressing the back of Nail's smooth head. "If Chichi truly resists, we can always bring her along too," he added. The woman was not _too_ scary... She loved Gohan too much to be truly terrifying. He chuckled, the relaxation he felt permeating through his entire body, lulling him into an uncharacteristic languidness.

Piccolo stretched, his back arching slightly. It had the unintended result of pressing their bodies closer together.

"It would be nice to see all of the little namekians again," he supposed aloud, smiling softly. They were awfully cute, all the little green sprouts, antennae bouncing, too-large ears framing chubby cheeks and sparkling eyes...

He felt a small pang, but quickly buried it, half-hoping that it had been too quick for Nail to pick up on...

"Indeed we could," Nail agreed, smirking at the thought of the feisty little woman mingling with his people. She had gotten on with them just fine - and she had adored the sprouts of course. His arms wound around Piccolo, talons lightly stroking the curve of his mate's back. He twitched, feeling a twinge across their link. "What's up?" Obviously Piccolo had tried to hide it, but Nail was too sharp for it to have been successful. "Wishing Gohan were that little again?" He laughed softly, eyes creased with a kind smile. Piccolo thought of the boy as his own, that much was obvious. "You're a great father, you know, and you're more than just a stand-in for Goku. You can see it in the boy's eyes."

Piccolo frowned, closing his eyes and sighing.

"Yes, I suppose... I suppose that is what I want..." He inhaled and held it, held it longer, before he exhaled. "There is something about little ones...that bring out the best in me..."

How he wanted one...or two...of his own.

Truly his own... Not having to "share" as it were, with the boy's real parents... His ears pinned.

 

"So I noticed," Nail murmured. He wasn't sure exactly what Piccolo was getting at, but he would listen regardless. He always knew Piccolo had a soft spot for children. "I could see you twitching, getting ready to swim off to find that little girl's trinket before I had."

He leaned back slightly, only to get a better look at Piccolo's face. "Ever thought about being a father?" Nail's own voice was wistful. "I love kids. Something so innocent about their simple wants and needs." He chuckled quietly. "It's hard to resist - or rather, it's hard for _me_ not to give them whatever they ask for."

"I thought about having one after Dende hatched, but," he shrugged "my duty to protect Guru just didn't make the prospect very feasible. So I dropped it."

Piccolo nodded, the movement having a bit more vigor than he had meant to give it.

"Lately I have been giving it more thought than in the past but... Yes, I want to be a father. To have my child call me such..." his voice trailed away, pain seeping into his words. "I was always jealous of Goku for that reason," he murmured, ears pinning.

It hurt, it hurt that Gohan referred to Goku as his dad, even though the man constantly and continually hurt him, broke promises...  And Piccolo... Piccolo had been there since the man had declined a free ride home, over a year ago. And before that...

He was being ridiculous. Piccolo knew that he had no right to be upset by the lack of a title, he had no right such a thing. "I want a child," he said at last, shaking his head. "But not until Goku returns. I do not wish to have Gohan think he is being replaced in any way."

Nail was silent as he processed his partner's words. It had occurred to him more than once that Gohan didn't see Piccolo as Piccolo viewed him - or, if he did, didn't give acknowledge him as such. He had always wondered how that would affect Piccolo's psyche...

"Piccolo." His voice was soft. “I understand your reasons for not wanting one straightaway, but...has it occurred to you that Goku might not come back?" He squeezed his love. "I mean, from what Chichi tells me, Goku has always been restless when he's stayed for any duration of time with them. It seems that he views Earth similarly to how you view Namek." He would not allow the word 'boring' to pass his lips, but he knew Piccolo would know he meant it. "And that the responsibilities of a family seem to be more of a burden than a blessing..."

He inhaled. "Believe me when I say Gohan will adjust if you had a child of your own. He may even find it a pleasant distraction to the lack of his own family member." A smile crossed his lips. "But you have all the time in the world. Namekians have very long lifespans; so there is no need to rush."

Piccolo sighed, closing his eyes.

"I do not think he will return, but... I suppose a better way of phrasing my thoughts would be to say 'when Gohan has accepted that his father won't be back, and moves on.'” Who knew how long that could take.

He shook his head. "Regardless of Gohan's feelings, I.... I am not ready, yet."

That may have been a lie. Piccolo did not quite know. He may have been able to cough up a baby the very next day and been the happiest he had ever been, as ready as he ever would be...and yet...

"I just..." How to explain it? Piccolo's arms pulled Nail closer. "I want children. I... I just want to feel...more secure in the decision. In life, before bringing innocents into this world." Have a home, perhaps, a stable life.

Everything he had never had growing up.

"Well," Nail murmured, smiling softly. “Of course that's understandable." He touched Piccolo's ears, stroking and scratching behind them. "Having children is never a decision one should make casually. The fact you are taking it so seriously shows responsibility." He grinned, purring quietly. "And in any case...you should enjoy yourself a little more before it. After all, you're already a surrogate father to one...you should use what time you have to enjoy yourself, your life."

He smirked playfully. "Enjoy the fact you have such a gorgeous, charming mate for a start..."


End file.
